Sporting boycott of South Africa
Encyclopedia
South Africa under apartheid was subjected to a variety of international boycott
s, including on sport
ing contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to end segregation in sport or to end apartheid altogether.
The UN General Assembly
adopted the International Convention Against Apartheid in Sports on 10 December 1985.
(IOC) withdrew its invitation to South Africa to the 1964 Summer Olympics
when interior minister Jan de Klerk insisted the team would not be racially integrated. In 1968
, the IOC was prepared to readmit South Africa after assurances that its team would be multi-racial; but a threatened boycott by African nations and others forestalled this. South Africa was formally expelled from the IOC in 1970.
In 1976
, African nations demanded that New Zealand
be suspended by the IOC for continued contacts with South Africa, including a tour by the New Zealand national rugby union team. When the IOC refused, the African teams withdrew from the games. This contributed to the Gleneagles Agreement
being adopted by the Commonwealth
in 1977.
The IOC adopted a declaration against "apartheid in sport" on June 21, 1988, for the total isolation of apartheid sport.
's time for the women's 5,000m
in January 1984 was not ratified as a world record
because it was outside the auspices of the IAAF.
excluded from provincial and national teams from the 1890s. However, the cricketing boycott was prompted by the reaction of the South African authorities to the selection of Basil D'Oliveira
, a "Cape Coloured
" South African, by the England national cricket team in 1968. The 1970 South African tour of England was called off and replaced by a "Rest of the World" tour
featuring many South African players. The International Cricket Conference (ICC) imposed a moratorium on tours in 1970. There were several private tours in the 1970s and "rebel" tours in the 1980s
. Participants in the latter were banned by their national federations upon returning. World Series Cricket
, run outside the auspices of the ICC in 1977–9, included South African players in its "Rest of the World" team.
. South Africa competed in the 1980 edition in Caracas
. The prospect of their appearing in the 1981 edition, due to be staged at Waterville
in Ireland, caused it to be cancelled. South Africa did not reappear until the post-apartheid era in 1992.
South African golfers continued to play around the world, including US PGA tour
, PGA European Tour
, and Grand Slam
events. Outside golfers competed freely in South African Tour events. The Million Dollar Challenge at the Sun City resort
regularly attracted some of the world's top golfers. The Official World Golf Rankings
included South African Tour events in its calculations from its instigation in 1986.
was the 1979 Formula One
champion. The South African Formula One Grand Prix
and the South African motorcycle Grand Prix
were held in 1985 for the final time until the end of apartheid. Various teams boycotted the 1985 Formula One race
, some teams in this international motorsport boycotting as part of pressure from their own governments, as part of the mounting pressure against apartheid.
throughout the apartheid era. Halt All Racist Tours
was established in New Zealand in 1969 to oppose continued tours to and from South Africa. Though contacts were restricted after the Gleneagles Agreement in 1977, there were controversial tours in 1980 by the British Lions
and by France
, in 1981 by Ireland
, and in 1984 by England
. South Africa toured New Zealand in 1981. South Africa was excluded from the first two Rugby World Cup
s, in 1987
and 1991
.
in 1963. Stanley Rous
, FIFA's President, went to negotiate its reinstatement. The South African FA proposed entering an all-white team in the 1966 World Cup
and an all-black team in the 1970 World Cup
. This proposal was rejected.
Board (SATTB), a body founded in contravention to the white South African table tennis board, was replaced for the latter by the International Table Tennis Federation
. While the SATTB team was able to participate in the world championships held in Stockholm
in 1957, team members were immediately refused passports by the government. It ruled that no black could compete internationally except through the white sports body.
was ejected from the 1970 Davis Cup
, in part thanks to campaigning by Arthur Ashe
. It was reinstated in 1973 and won the 1974 Davis Cup
after India
refused to travel to South Africa for the final. South Africa were subsequently barred from the team competition, but South African players competed on the pro tours; Johan Kriek
and Kevin Curren
reached Grand Slam
finals, though both later became naturalized
U.S. citizens.
was a powerful boost to post-apartheid South Africa's return to the international sporting scene.
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
s, including on sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
ing contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to end segregation in sport or to end apartheid altogether.
United Nations
In 1980, the United Nations began compiling a "Register of Sports Contacts with South Africa". This was a list of sportspeople and official who had participated in events within South Africa. It was compiled mainly from reports in South African newspapers. Being listed did not itself result in any punishment, but was regarded as a moral pressure on athletes. Some sports bodies would discipline athletes based on the register. Athletes could have their names deleted from the register by giving a written undertaking not to return to apartheid South Africa to compete. The register is regarded as having been an effective instrument.The UN General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
adopted the International Convention Against Apartheid in Sports on 10 December 1985.
Olympic Games
The International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) withdrew its invitation to South Africa to the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
when interior minister Jan de Klerk insisted the team would not be racially integrated. In 1968
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
, the IOC was prepared to readmit South Africa after assurances that its team would be multi-racial; but a threatened boycott by African nations and others forestalled this. South Africa was formally expelled from the IOC in 1970.
In 1976
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
, African nations demanded that New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
be suspended by the IOC for continued contacts with South Africa, including a tour by the New Zealand national rugby union team. When the IOC refused, the African teams withdrew from the games. This contributed to the Gleneagles Agreement
Gleneagles Agreement
The Gleneagles Agreement was unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland. In 1977, Commonwealth Presidents and Prime Ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and...
being adopted by the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
in 1977.
The IOC adopted a declaration against "apartheid in sport" on June 21, 1988, for the total isolation of apartheid sport.
By sport
The extent of boycotting varied between different sports, in the degree of contact permitted and the severity of punishment of "rebels" who defied the sanctions.Athletics
In track and field athletics, a motion to suspend South Africa from the IAAF was defeated in 1966, but had been passed by 1970. Zola BuddZola Budd
Zola Pieterse, better known by her maiden name of Zola Budd , is a former Olympic track and field competitor who, in less than three years, twice broke the world record in the women's 5000 metres and twice was the women's winner at the World Cross Country Championships...
's time for the women's 5,000m
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
in January 1984 was not ratified as a world record
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
because it was outside the auspices of the IAAF.
Cricket
Cricket had been organised on racial lines in South Africa from its earliest days with the coloured cricketer Krom HendricksKrom Hendricks
Armien 'Krom' Hendricks was a South African cricketer. Hendricks, a Cape Malay, was considered the fastest bowler in South Africa in the 1890s. He suffered from the racial segregation in South Africa throughout his career, particularly in a much publicised prevention of him touring England in 1894...
excluded from provincial and national teams from the 1890s. However, the cricketing boycott was prompted by the reaction of the South African authorities to the selection of Basil D'Oliveira
Basil D'Oliveira
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE , known affectionately around the world as "Dolly", was a South African-born English cricketer. D'Oliveira was classified as 'coloured' under the apartheid regime, and hence barred from first-class cricket, resulting in his emigration to England...
, a "Cape Coloured
Cape Coloureds
The Cape Coloureds form a minority group within South Africa, however they are the predominant population group in the Western Cape. They are generally bilingual, however subsets within the group can be exclusively Afrikaans speakers, whereas others primarily speak English...
" South African, by the England national cricket team in 1968. The 1970 South African tour of England was called off and replaced by a "Rest of the World" tour
Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970
A Rest of the World cricket team was assembled to play five-day cricket matches against the full England team in 1970 after the cancellation of the scheduled tour by the South African cricket team. At the time the matches were deemed to be Test matches, but that was later revoked.-The background to...
featuring many South African players. The International Cricket Conference (ICC) imposed a moratorium on tours in 1970. There were several private tours in the 1970s and "rebel" tours in the 1980s
South African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
. Participants in the latter were banned by their national federations upon returning. World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
, run outside the auspices of the ICC in 1977–9, included South African players in its "Rest of the World" team.
Golf
In the World Cup, the Greek government banned South Africa from the 1979 competition in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. South Africa competed in the 1980 edition in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. The prospect of their appearing in the 1981 edition, due to be staged at Waterville
Waterville, County Kerry
Waterville, historically known as Carrean , is a village in County Kerry, Ireland, on the Iveragh peninsula. The town is sited on a narrow isthmus, with Lough Currane on the east side of the town, and Ballinskelligs Bay on the west, and the Currane River connecting the two.The town's name in Irish...
in Ireland, caused it to be cancelled. South Africa did not reappear until the post-apartheid era in 1992.
South African golfers continued to play around the world, including US PGA tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, PGA European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
, and Grand Slam
Grand Slam (golf)
The Grand Slam in golf is winning all the golf's major championships in the same calendar year.-The Men's Grand Slam:The Grand Slam in men's golf is an unofficial concept, having changed over time. In the modern era, The Grand Slam is generally considered to be winning all four of golf's major...
events. Outside golfers competed freely in South African Tour events. The Million Dollar Challenge at the Sun City resort
Sun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
regularly attracted some of the world's top golfers. The Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
included South African Tour events in its calculations from its instigation in 1986.
Motor sport
South African Jody ScheckterJody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...
was the 1979 Formula One
1979 Formula One season
The 1979 Formula One season was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors which were contested concurrently over a fifteen round series which commenced on January 21, 1979, and ended on...
champion. The South African Formula One Grand Prix
South African Grand Prix
The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Eastern Cape Province...
and the South African motorcycle Grand Prix
South African motorcycle Grand Prix
The South African motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that had been part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship, held intermittently from 1983 to 2004.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:...
were held in 1985 for the final time until the end of apartheid. Various teams boycotted the 1985 Formula One race
1985 South African Grand Prix
The 1985 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 1985 at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa. It was the fifteenth and penultimate round of the 1985 Formula One season....
, some teams in this international motorsport boycotting as part of pressure from their own governments, as part of the mounting pressure against apartheid.
Rugby union
South Africa remained a member of the International Rugby BoardInternational Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
throughout the apartheid era. Halt All Racist Tours
Halt All Racist Tours
Halt All Racist Tours was a protest group set up in New Zealand in 1969 to protest against rugby union tours to and from South Africa.-Chronology:...
was established in New Zealand in 1969 to oppose continued tours to and from South Africa. Though contacts were restricted after the Gleneagles Agreement in 1977, there were controversial tours in 1980 by the British Lions
1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa . The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth...
and by France
1980 France rugby union tour of South Africa
The 1980 France rugby union tour of South Africa was a series of matches played by the France national rugby union team in South Africa in November 1980. France lost their only international match against the South Africa national rugby union team.-Results:...
, in 1981 by Ireland
1981 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa
- Matches :Ireland embarked on their first tour to South Africa after a twenty year absence on the back of a five nations championship which they were widely considered to be favourites to win but ended with four defeats having lost all their matches for the first time since 1977...
, and in 1984 by England
1984 England rugby union tour of South Africa
The 1984 England rugby union tour of South Africa was a series of seven matches played by the England national rugby union team in South Africa in May and June 1984. England played seven games, including two test matches against the South Africa national rugby union team...
. South Africa toured New Zealand in 1981. South Africa was excluded from the first two Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
s, in 1987
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
and 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
.
Football
South Africa was suspended from FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1963. Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:...
, FIFA's President, went to negotiate its reinstatement. The South African FA proposed entering an all-white team in the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
and an all-black team in the 1970 World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. This proposal was rejected.
Table tennis
The South African Table TennisTable tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
Board (SATTB), a body founded in contravention to the white South African table tennis board, was replaced for the latter by the International Table Tennis Federation
International Table Tennis Federation
The International Table Tennis Federation is the governing body for all national table tennis associations.-Founding history:The ITTF was founded in 1926, the nine founding members being Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden and Wales...
. While the SATTB team was able to participate in the world championships held in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1957, team members were immediately refused passports by the government. It ruled that no black could compete internationally except through the white sports body.
Tennis
The South Africa Davis Cup teamSouth Africa Davis Cup team
The South Africa Davis Cup team represents South Africa in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the South African Tennis Association....
was ejected from the 1970 Davis Cup
1970 Davis Cup
The 1970 Davis Cup was the 59th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 53 teams would enter the competition, 31 in the Europe Zone, 11 in the Americas Zone, and 11 in the Eastern Zone....
, in part thanks to campaigning by Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
. It was reinstated in 1973 and won the 1974 Davis Cup
1974 Davis Cup
The 1974 Davis Cup was the 63rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 56 teams would enter the competition, 33 in the Europe Zone, 12 in the Americas Zone, and 11 in the Eastern Zone....
after India
India Davis Cup team
The India Davis Cup team represents India in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the All India Tennis Association.India finished as runners-up 3 times . In 1974, the final was scratched and South Africa were awarded the Davis Cup after India refused to particapate in the final due to...
refused to travel to South Africa for the final. South Africa were subsequently barred from the team competition, but South African players competed on the pro tours; Johan Kriek
Johan Kriek
Johan Kriek is a South African American professional male tennis player and founder of the Global Water Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering clean water to the world's neediest communities. Kriek has won two Australian Opens and has reached the semi-finals at the French...
and Kevin Curren
Kevin Curren
----Kevin Melvyn Curren is a former professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.-Career:...
reached Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
finals, though both later became naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
U.S. citizens.
End of apartheid
With the end of apartheid, sports rapidly ended their boycotts. The European Community announced its member governments' ending of the boycott in June 1991. The country's hosting and winning of the 1995 Rugby World Cup1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
was a powerful boost to post-apartheid South Africa's return to the international sporting scene.
Further reading
- Dancing On Our Bones: New Zealand, South Africa, Rugby and Racism by Trevor Richards (Bridget Williams Books, 1999). The author was one of a small group of people who founded Halt All Racist Tours (HART) in Auckland in 1969 and worked for the organization for many years, serving as chair (1969–1980) and international secretary (1980–1985).